Tomobiki
by Stephanie2
Summary: What does it take to know someone cares?


Hello! Wow. . .okay, this is my first DBZ story to be submitted to fanfiction.net and I'm well. . .nervous. I hope you guys like it. It's kind of a mystery/romance/drama sorta thing. I hope it makes sense. Let me know what you think! The main characters are Bulma, Piccolo, and Future Trunks. Vegeta and Goku also play a big part though. Oh well, go on and read before I give the whole story away!  
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Disclaimer: I do not own DragonBall Z or any of the characters used in this story.  
  
  
Tomobiki  
  
Tomobiki. To "pull friends."  
  
Legend has it, it's an unlucky day. In fact, no funerals are held on this day, so that the deceased will not pull their friends with them along to the next world . . . But what if it was true? And if a spirit of the deceased did come back and pull someone to the next world. . .what would be their reason? . . .   
  
A cool wind rushed over Bulma, causing her to shiver as she read the newspaper. The androids were dead, but so was Piccolo, and it was not the best of days for the Z gang. The battle had been so long, and so painful. Bulma didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She wiped the forming tears out of her eyes, and folded up the paper, putting it away in the drawer of her dresser. She drug herself over to her bed and plopped down on it. Why was this happening? Why did it have to happen to Piccolo? He had fought so bravely. If it hadn't been for him, none of them would be there right now. She folded her knees up to her chest, and cried into them. Just then, Vegeta busted in.  
  
" Crying again?!" Vegeta asked.  
  
" Shut up Vegeta! If it weren't for Piccolo, you wouldn't even be here!" Bulma snapped back.  
  
" Well I'm tired of hearing you cry your eyes out to the point of being sick!" Vegeta said angrily.  
  
" What do you know?! You don't feel anything for anybody, so why should I care what you say?!" Bulma screamed at him.  
  
" Woman calm down." Vegeta tried.  
  
" How can I when you're acting like an asshole! You probably don't even care that all of us are suffering over his loss! You're just a self-centered jerk! Well you know what, I'm sick of your bullshit, so you can go to hell!" Bulma yelled, and stomped out of the room.  
  
" Fine! You're right, I don't care! So you can go to hell too!" Vegeta replied.  
  
" Fine! Maybe I will!" Bulma yelled on her way down the stairs.  
  
Bulma stomped through to the living room, startling everyone who waited in there, which was Goku, Gohan, Trunks, and Krillen.  
  
" What's wrong mother?" Trunks asked.  
  
" Nothing!" Bulma yelled, and stomped out the door.  
  
Trunks looked at the others and shrugged. He knew her and his father had gotten into it again. But why? He would find out later.  
  
Bulma walked to the oceanside, crying the whole way, and plopped down at the edge. 'Why is he so mean to me?' she thought,' He hates me. . .'  
  
Another cool wind rushed over her. Then, a creepy and terrible sound started coming from in front of her. . .from the ocean. Bulma raised her head up slowly. 'What is that?' she wondered. Slowly she crept up closer to the water. The sounds got louder, but where were they coming from? It couldn't be the water. She stretched her eyes out over the ocean for a minute, only to note there was no one in sight. So these sounds WERE coming from the ocean. She went out further, as the sounds got even more louder. She looked down into the water. The sounds were. . .cries for help. . .  
  
Suddenly a hand grabbed Bulma by the shoulder, and she screamed fearfully.  
  
" Sorry mom. . ." Trunks said.  
  
" It's okay, just tell me next time." Bulma replied, calming her heart.  
  
" Okay. . .um. . .what are you doing?" Trunks asked.  
  
Bulma looked down, and seen that she was on her hands and knees, in 2 feet deep of water. She quickly jumped up.  
  
" Nothing. . .I was just. . .looking for sea shells." Bulma covered up.  
  
" Oh. . .well I needed to talk to you for a minute." Trunks said.  
  
"Sure." Bulma replied.  
  
" I want to know what's wrong with you and dad." Trunks said.  
  
" Oh, him."Bulma said," We just had one of our fights, that's all."  
  
" Are you sure?" Trunks asked.  
  
" Yeah. . .I. . ." Bulma started," Your dad. . ."  
  
" What?" Trunks asked concerningly.  
  
" He hates me." Bulma cried.  
  
" No he doesn't mom. . .he doesn't at all."  
  
" But if you could only know the way he treats me. He doesn't even tell me he loves me. "  
  
Trunks looked at his mother sadly. This had to stop.  
  
Bulma paused through her tears, and stared back out at the ocean again. Those sounds. . .she could hear them again, except louder this time.  
  
Trunks noted that she had stopped, and stared at her curiously.  
  
" What is it?" he asked her.  
  
" Do you. . .hear something?" Bulma asked him.  
  
He paused and listened for a minute," No. . .why?"  
  
" I do. . ." Bulma said in fear.   
  
The sounds were so much louder this time, it was scaring her, because she could make out that they were the voices of Piccolo, 17, and 18. She fell to the ground, her heart beating faster than ever as she listened to their voices. She gazed out at the ocean again. A second later, the water began to quake. Trunks' muffled voice dissappeared, and Bulma saw a figure burst out of the ocean, and land right in front of her. She screamed in panic, backing up quickly into Trunks. The figure dissappeared, and the sounds faded out.   
  
" MOM! Are you okay?! What's wrong?!" Trunks asked, shaking her.  
  
Bulma couldn't say anything, she just shivered in fear.  
  
" Mom, what is it?!" Trunks asked forcefully, shaking her more.  
  
" Piccolo! I- I h-heard his v-voice, and. . ." Bulma told shakily," And I-I se-seen him."  
  
" Piccolo? Mom, Piccolo is dead, how could you have possibly seen him?" Trunks wondered.  
  
" I-I don't know. . ." Bulma said, fearfully looking out at the water again.  
  
" Are you okay?" Trunks asked, looking at her.  
  
" I'm fine, but I know I saw him. . ." Bulma replied.  
  
" Hey guys, what's up?" came a voice from behind them.  
  
They both turned around to see Goku standing there.  
  
" I heard Bulma scream and I thought there might be trouble." Goku told.  
  
" Oh no, she just saw. . .a shark, that's all." Trunks covered up.  
  
" Oh, ok, well, the rest of the guys are on their way. . .to come see, or honor. . .ya know. . ." Goku said.  
  
Trunks nodded, and helped his mom stand up.  
  
An hour later the whole DBZ gang stood by the oceanside, crying and angry, as they stared at the spot on the ocean where their friend had died. Vegeta sat on a cliff not far, watching them all.  
  
" Hurmph. Look at them over there. Acting like there is no tommorrow. How pitiful." Vegeta scowled.  
  
The gang all slowly left, but Bulma stayed. For some reason, his death had affected her badly. Even though she didn't fight along side of him like the others, she felt closer to him than some of them. She sat on the warm sand, as the night sat in. Trunks had stayed with her for a little while, but then had left with Gohan to take ChiChi home. Now she sat alone once again.She sighed through her tears, gazing at the starry sky above her. Waves rolled up on the sandy beach softly. And then she heard it again. . .the cries for help. She sat up quickly, searching the area for the owner of the voice, but it was coming from the ocean. . .and it was the voice of Piccolo.  
  
' I'm losing it.' Bulma thought to herself. ' Time to go home Bulma.'  
  
She stood up, and started walking off, when she heard a giant splash behind her. She quickly turned around in fear, whipping her head back and forth. She exhaled slowly, then turned back around to start walking again. . .instead she screamed.  
  
~~  
  
" Whoa Trunks. . .did you hear that?" Gohan asked Trunks, who was already racing out the door.  
  
" Yes! It was mom!" Trunks said, as he flew into the air.  
  
When they arrived on the scene, Bulma was no where in sight. . .all they found was her jacket.  
  
" Damn it!" Trunks cursed. " Where would she go?!"   
  
" I don't know." Goku replied.  
  
The rest of the Z gang had heard it too, and immediately went to the scene. Even Vegeta. He stood behind Trunks, confused.  
  
" What do you think happened, dad?" Gohan asked.  
  
" Who knows, son? It could have been a multiple of things." Gou replied.  
  
Trunks held her jacket tightly in his arms, fighting anger. He whipped around to face his dad.  
  
" This is all YOUR FAULT!" he yelled at him, then stomped away.  
  
Vegeta only shrugged, and continued to stand there, wondering where his mate could've went. . . .  
  
~~  
  
Bulma's eyes searched through a dark but glowing place fearfully. She didn't know how she had gotten here. . .all she remebered was being on the oceanside after honoring Piccolo's bravery. . .   
  
An icy hand touched her on the shoulder, and turned her around. Bulma screamed loudly. In front of her, stood Piccolo. . .but wasn't he dead? She stared in shock, as he looked at her with his empty, black eyes. A giant hole was in the center of his stomach, and he was a dark green color. Darker than a normal Namek's color. Bulma backed up slowly, until she met up with a wall. She turned and looked at him again, only to find that he was still staring at her. He started walking towards her.  
  
' Bulma, you're dreaming! He's dead! Piccolo is dead!' she told herself.  
  
Piccolo, kept walking until he was only an arms length away from her.   
  
" Help me." He whispered in a deep, cold voice.  
  
Bulma only stood there stunned. A dead person was talking to her. What was she to do?  
  
" H-how?" she asked.  
  
" Follow me." He ordered.  
  
He turned around and started walking towards a weird looking door in the wall. Bulma didn't budge, she was too scared to do anything except stare. Piccolo turned back.  
  
" Come." He told.  
  
Bulma slowly walked toward him, and noticed that the door seemed to grow.  
  
Piccolo opened it, and a bright light flooded into the room they had been in. Before Bulma knew it, she was standing in a dark room that was glowing red, and thousands of weird shaped figures floating around in it.  
  
" I want out." Bulma panicked and turned to open the door, but she noticed it had dissappeared.  
  
" There is no way out, unless you go through hell first." Piccolo told from behind her.  
  
" Excuse me?! Where the hell am I?! How did I get here?! And who are you?!" Bulma asked angrily, all in one breath.  
  
"You already know who I am. . .and you ARE in hell, but the reason I called you here is because I need your help." Piccolo explained.  
  
" Help with what? You're dead."  
  
" I am. . .and I shouldn't have come here when I died either."  
  
" What do you mean?"  
  
" I wasn't worthy enough to be permitted back into Kami's when I died, because the fight I died in wasn't finished. . .I could've kept on fighting with no problem, but I didn't. I abused the power I had. . ."  
  
" That's not true! You did the best you could! If it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't have-"  
  
" You're wrong. I could've finished off both androids including with no problem if I would have tried."  
  
" So what are you wanting me to do about it?"  
  
" Change the hands of time."  
  
~~  
  
Trunks sat on his parents' balcony, crying inside over the loss of his mother, but angry at his father for not giving a damn about her. Why didn't he care? If he had taken her as his mate, and made a child with her, why didn't he care? It didn't make sense.  
  
~~  
  
Vegeta stared out into the ocean, sitting in the spot where Bulma had dissappeared. Where could she have gone to? Oh well, he didn't care. All it was, was a sign of weakness. . .a feeling he would never show. . .  
  
~~  
  
" When the androids were finally destroyed, they didn't come here. They went to heaven, and I came to hell. In a way, I guess we were switched, but who switched us was a different story."  
  
" So why don't you just go to heaven and switch?"  
  
" I am dead. There is no way for me to escape hell. I've already tried it. . .and I can't get out. You, however, are not dead. . .yet. . ."  
  
" What do you mean, yet?"  
  
" In order for me to get permitted to heaven, and history to get back on the right course. . .YOU must be permitted to heaven, and return the androids to hell."  
  
" WHAT?!"  
  
" I think you have the picture now. . ."  
  
" Why me? Why not Goku?"  
  
" You have been innocent all your life. You have never fought or done anything to hurt anybody. Therefore, when you are permitted to heaven, you will be granted one wish. . .you must use it, to change time, and get me to heaven. After I am there, it will be my job to get them back to hell."  
  
" You mean, you're going to fight them in heaven?"  
  
" Yes. It is the only way."  
  
" But. . .what about me? I mean, if I have to get permitted to heaven. . .that means that I'll. . ."  
  
" Exactly."  
  
" How would this change anything though? I mean, you'd still be dead."  
  
" Not neccissarily. Once I am back to heaven, I am as alive as I was before. . .well at least as Kami was. We could then defuse, and I could use my wish to return to Earth. Then, the dragon balls will return as well."  
  
Bulma just nodded her head silently. A tear ran down her cheek. But she wanted to be brave. Just like the fighters.  
  
" Will you do it?" Piccolo asked her.  
  
Bulma looked up at him tearfully. . .and nodded.  
  
~~  
  
Trunks sat on the oceanside, staring blankly out at the ocean where his mom had dissappeared.   
  
" Mom, where are you?" he sobbed.  
  
No one knew it, but Trunks had an undying love for his mother. She had raised him, and taken care of him, and made sure he didn't get hurt. . .And he felt he could never repay her for all that she had done for him, but he tried. He missed her terribly . . .  
  
" What are you doing over here?!" a voice growled at him from behind.  
  
Trunks turned around, only to see his father standing there.  
  
" What are YOU doing over here?! You don't even care about mom, so why would you come here?!" Trunks snapped back.  
  
" Baka, she is my mate, I DO care about her." Vegeta replied.  
  
" Then why don't you treat her like you care?! You know what she thinks?! She thinks you hate her! If you cared, why would you let her believe that?!" Trunks yelled angrily.  
  
Vegeta stopped in silence for a minute and thought back.  
  
*****FLASHBACK*****  
  
" Fine! You're right! I don't care! So you can go to hell too!"  
  
*****FLASHBACK*****  
  
He HAD told her he didn't care. . .  
  
He watched his son slowly get up, and walk off, leaving him to think. He sat down by the oceanside, and started writing in the sand. . . .  
  
A half an hour later he finally got up, and went home. Trunks had been watching him the whole time, wondering what he had written in the sand. He waited until Vegeta was gone, and slowly walked out to the oceanside. What he read, made him cry.  
  
Bulma, I'm sorry. I love you. Vegeta.  
  
~~  
  
Bulma stood, waiting for Piccolo to transfer her back to her world. She sadly looked up at him, knowing what she would have to do to fulfill his request. But she felt like she owed it to him for some reason. Maybe it was gonna be better this way. Piccolo, Kami, and the dragonballs would be back, and the androids would be sent to hell where they belonged. And her. . .well, she would just have to start over. . .in heaven. She sobbed quietly. Piccolo looked down at her.  
  
" Are you sure you want to go through with this Bulma?" Piccolo asked her.  
  
Bulma nodded." I have noone or nothing to live for. . .except for my son. . .and I'll always be with him. . ."   
  
" What about Vegeta?" Piccolo asked.  
  
" Vegeta hates me. I never even think he loved me in the first place. . .it was a mistake for me to ever love him. . .he never even cared." Bulma told him.  
  
Piccolo just looked back up, and started drawing in his power.  
  
" Get ready." He said.  
  
Bulma just stood silently, as a light flashed. She heard a "good luck" and she was transfered back to her world. Back on the beach. . .soon enough to catch the sunset. The last sunset she would ever see. She cried silently as she watched it.  
  
' Well Bulma. . .you better get this over with.' She told herself.  
  
She got up, and walked up to the roadside by the beach. She looked at the lighted city tearfully.  
  
'Bye Goku. . .Gohan, Krillen. . .' she started.  
  
She heard the sound of a car approaching as it came over the top of the hill.  
  
' . . .ChiChi, Yamcha, Trunks. . .' she continued.  
  
The car got closer, as she was blinded by the head lights, and deafened by the sound of it zooming down the road towards her.  
  
' Bye. . .Vegeta. . .' Bulma finished,' I love you. . .'  
  
Bulma threw herself out in front of the car, as it slammed into her. The tires screeched, and the car swerved to a halt. All faded. . .  
  
~~  
  
" Kami!" Trunks yelled jumping up suddenly.  
  
" I know. . .terrible loss. . ." Krillen said.  
  
" No! Something just happened! I felt it!" Trunks exclaimed.  
  
Everyone elses' eyes got big and the attention turned towards him.  
  
" Do you think it was Bulma?" Gohan asked.  
  
" Oh my God. . ." Trunks said, racing out the door, with the others behind him.  
  
Vegeta was already there. He had felt her as soon as she had come back. . .but he had been too late.  
He watched as the rest of the Z fighters showed up to the scene. He listened to all the frantic voices.  
  
" What happened?!" Trunks yelled, taking the owner of the car by the collar, and slamming him back against the car.  
  
" I don't know man, she just jumped out of nowhere!" the guy replied in a pleading voice.  
  
" Trunks. . ." Goku whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Trunks reluctantly dropped the man to let the police question him, and turned around only to see his mother being covered and loaded into an ambulance. Gohan and Krillen were getting information from the police while Yamcha and Tien talked to a paramedic. Goku was doing his best to comfort Trunks, but it wasn't doing any good. Trunks fell to the ground, and brushed his hands through his hair, with tears forming in his eyes.  
  
Yamcha sadly walked over to Goku.  
  
" I'm sorry. . .but she didn't make it. They said she died instantly." Yamcha told Goku sadly.  
  
" Thank you Yamcha." Goku said, patting him on the shoulder.  
  
He kneeled down next to Trunks.  
  
" I'm sorry Trunks." Goku told.  
  
Goku enclosed him in a hug, as he cried some more.  
  
" They um. . .they think she commited sueside." Goku informed him.  
  
" Why would she do that Goku? What gave her the reason to-" Trunks cut himself off, as he directed his attention to his approaching father.  
  
Trunks jumped up onto his feet. Vegeta just stared at him. Trunks was tempted to say something, but he could tell his father was hurt too. He could see it in his eyes. He brushed past him, and left the scene.  
  
~~  
  
" Bulma." A voice boomed, awaking Bulma from a peacful sleep.  
  
She looked up, and frightfully jumped to her feet, staring at her surroundings. ' This must be heaven.' She thought to herself. She had actually went through with it. She was in heaven.  
  
" Bulma." The voice boomed again." Bulma. You have been proven worthy to be permitted to heaven. I've viewed your past life. You were a wonderful and caring person, so you will now be granted one wish. Use it wisely. . .for you only get one."  
  
' Right.' Bulma thought,' I need to wish Piccolo back.'  
  
Suddenly, a voice shot through her head," Bulma. . .they know you're there, and they know why. They are coming for you. You must hurry!"  
  
Bulma listened to the voice in fear, and immediately started making her wish.  
  
" I wish for-"  
  
She was interrupted by screams of terror ringing out throughout the heaven's. They WERE coming.  
  
" I wish for Piccolo to be-"  
  
She was once again interrupted, by the sound of thunder. She looked back just before the androids bursted up through the clouds and charged straight for her. She turned back around.  
  
" I wish for Piccolo to be permitted to heaven!" she yelled.  
  
The androids ran into her, making her fly backwards. They lunged for her again, but before they could get to her, a loud thunder rumbled through the heaven's and Piccolo bursted up through the cloud, lunging at the androids.   
  
" DIE!" Piccolo yelled, throwing off a powerful energy blast.   
  
A bright light surrounded them, and when it faded away. . .the androids were no longer there. She didn't see Piccolo either. She pulled herself up off the hard clear floor she had landed on, and rubbed the back of her head. She started walking when she heard a familiar voice flood through her mind.  
  
" Mom. . ."  
  
" Oh my God, Trunks?! Trunks, where are you?!" Bulma yelled, searching around frantically for him.  
  
" He's not here." A voice told her from behind.  
  
She turned around." Piccolo."  
  
" But that's what he really is saying at this time on Earth. And there's someone else who I think you should listen to too." Piccolo told.  
  
Suddenly, Bulma was listening to Vegeta.  
  
" Woman. . .why? Why did you do that to yourself? If only you knew how much I miss you. . .how much I truly DO care. . .and how much I love you. . ."   
  
This was Vegeta?! It was hard to believe, but it was him alright. Her eyes flooded with tears, as his voice faded away from her.  
  
" He DOES love you. . .it just took him a while to realize it." Piccolo said to her. " You've been brave Bulma. Kami and I are forever grateful."  
  
" Yeah, well just do me a favor." Bulma said, teary-eyed." When you get back to Earth, tell my son I love him and miss him. . .and tell Vegeta I love him too. . ."   
  
" Why don't you tell him?" Piccolo asked.  
  
Bulma looked up at him with a shocked expression on her face." Wha. . .what?"  
  
" A favor for a favor. . .thanks for changing the hands of time. . ." Piccolo told as his voice faded out.  
  
Before Bulma could say anything, she found herself back on the beach, standing behind Vegeta, who was sulking in the same place she had dissappeared that night.  
  
" Vegeta?" she said.  
  
He turned around quickly.  
  
" Woman?!" Vegeta exclaimed, shocked." How did you? Where were- You were-"  
  
She walked up to him, and wrapped her arms around his body, stunning him into silence. He took her by the shoulders, finally allowing himself to be convinced she was actually there. Without another word, he squeezed her tightly.  
  
" I love you. . ." he said.  
  
Bulma started crying again. He had finally said what she had been wanting to hear for a long time." I love you too. . ."  
  
The voices of the rest of the Z fighters could be heard, as they raced o the oceanside, where Bulma and Vegeta were wrapped in eachother's arms. Bulma finally realized miracles exsisted. Sometimes history falls out of place. . .but that's when you have to let time take it's toll. . .and let the least likliest of people take their turn and correct it. And then. . .only then will the miracles be worked.  
  
Piccolo watched from above, smiling.   
  
THE END  
  
Tell me what you think! I was reading a book in Japanese class the other day, and got the idea for this story. I hope everyone likes it, so if you do, let me know! If you didn't think my story sucked, then check out my other fics at http://ami.animenetwork.com/evilorangec. That's right. The lemon queen's site. It's seriously great, you should check it out! Oh, and also take a look at my Tenchi Muyo fic, No Need For Crying, right here at fanfiction.net! Love to all-Stephanie  



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